The present invention relates generally to textile yarn handling systems and, more particularly, to suction cleaning of one or more traveling textile yarns to remove lint and other debris therefrom, especially, for example, a plurality of side-by-side warp yarns.
It is well known within the textile industry that, in the production of textile fabrics, whether by weaving, knitting, or other fabric forming process, the quality of the yarn or yarns from which the fabric is formed has a direct affect on the quality of the resultant fabric. For example, air borne fibrous lint, dust, and other debris which are inherently released in textile manufacturing operations may tend to collect on textile yarn and, in turn, if not removed, may produce a defect in fabric produced from the yarn. By way of example and without limitation, the quality of woven fabric produced on high speed air jet weaving looms is known to be particularly sensitive to the presence of accumulated lint on the yarns employed in the weaving operation. Typically, in preliminary yarn preparation, a sizing may be applied to such yarns by passage of the yarns through a sizing bath, wherein fibrous lint and debris can detach from the yarns, collect or accumulate with other lint and debris in the bath, and then reattach to the yarn in larger globules which dry on the yarn producing a defective yarn slub.